Safety razor



J. C. SHERMAN SAFETY RAZOR Nov. 10, 1931.

Filed Feb. 15. 1929 Patented Nov. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES .Tomte SHERMAN,or GORHAM, MAINE SAFETY RAZOR Application led February 13, 1929, SerialNo. 339,527, and in Canada September 7,1928.

This invention relates to an improved safety razor for use with a novelpackage of blades, the combination being such that old blades may beremoved from the razor and x" replaced by fresh ones without thenecessity of touching either the discarded or fresh blades with thefingers. razor isprovided with manually releasable members or catches bywhich a blade can be picked up or released without the lingers of theoperator coming in contact with the blade. If desired, the cap plate ofthe razor` which clamps the blade in place may be of suicient length asto project beyond the ends of the blade sothat it may be grasped andremoved without the lingers touching the blade, since this obviates thedanger of cutting the fingers on the blade.

For use with a razor embodying the present invention I have shown, butdo not herein claim a holder for fresh blades adapted to hold aplurality of blades and intervening spacers to facilitate the operationof catch elements on the razor in picking up a blade.

- For a more complete disclosure of my invention, reference is had tothe description thereof which follows, and to the drawings, of which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a safety razor embodying theinvention.

Figure 2 isa perspective view of a razor outfit including the razorshown in Figure 1 and a novel package of blades for use therewith. I

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional'view of the razor and a bladeengaged thereby.

.Figure 4 is a perspective view of a package of blades for use with theoutfit shown in Figure 2.

4 Figure 5 shows a single spacer for theF Figure 8 shows in perspectivea mditled form of razor embodying the invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the vrazor shown in Figure l as oneof the em- To this end, the

bodiments of my invention, comprises a halidle 10 and a' guard plate 11integral therewith. The guard has perforations 12, 13, 14 to receivepins 15, 16,17 which are mounted on a cap plate 18. The blade isperforated as at 20, 21, 22 to receive-these pins. The middle pin 16maybe threaded for engagement with an elongated nut 23 which has an.

internally threaded portion at onev end to engage the threaded pin 16,and a knurled handle -24 at the other' end. The nut 23 may be insertedin the hollow handle 10 to engage the threaded pin 16 which is insertedin the opposite end. Thus by turning the knurled handle 24, the cap 18may be drawn tightly againstthe guard 11 or against a blade previouslyplaced therebetween.

The handle 10 and the guard 11 may be split by a slot 35 which extendstransversely across the guard plate l1 and longitudinally along aportion of the handle 10. Thus the guard plate 11 is divided into twoparts which are spaced from each other by the narrow slot 35 andconnected by the slotted handle 10 which forms a U-shaped bridgelbetween the parts. Thus the parts are resiliently'movable toward or awayfrom each other. On each of the separate parts of the guard plate 11 I Inount a member or catch 36, which, if desired, inay be hooked, each ofthese catches being preferably adjacent to the edge of one of theperforations through the guard plate.y As shown in Figure 1, the membersor catches 36 are mounted adjacent to the outer edges of theperforations 12, 14 and may have por tions projecting outwardly inopposite directions therefrom. As a result of this construction thecatches are adapted to enter the perforations 20, 22 cfa razor bladewhen the separated parts of the guard plate are pressed together and toengage on edge portions of the blade and, if hooked, to take over theface of the blade when the parts of the guard plate are permitted tospring back to their normal spaced positions, as illustrated in Figure3. The spaced parts of thek guard plate may conveniently bepressed'together by manually pinching the split portion of the handle 10which is adjacent to the guard plate. This moves the two parts of theguard late together and thus decreases the distance tween the twomembers or catches 36 so that they may enter or be withdrawn from theperforations 20,22 of a blade. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the outerfaces of the pins 15, 17 may be grooved 'as at 37 to receive the catches36 and to permit the cap 18 to be drawn tightly gainst the blade whenthe razor is assembled, the grooves 37 extending into the face of thecap 18 to receive the ends of the members or catches 36 when the cap 18is drawn against the guard 11. It is to be understood that lthe termcatches as applied to the members 36 is used by way of illustration and`not limitation and that it includes any members movable to engage edgeportions of a loose blade so as to grip and hold the same.

An improved package for the razor blades is illustrated in Figure 4.This comprises a number of spacing elements 38 which, as shown in Figure5, may have a generally rectangular form with a convenient tab 39 bywhich the top spacer in a package may be conveniently grasped with thefingers without incurring any risk of contact with a blade edge. Therectangular portion of each spacer is preferably recessed on one or bothits faces,

the depth of these recesses being sufficient to permit the thicker edgeportions of the spacers to touch when a blade is between each pair ofsuccessive spacers, the area of these recesses being somewhat largerthan that of the face of a blade so that the edges of a blade when inplace between two of the spacers will be spaced from the edges of therecess and will not be in contact with the spacers at anyIv point. Themarginal portions of the recesses may furthermore be pressed more deeplythan the central portion, as at 50, so that the cutting edges will befurther removed from the material of the spacers 38. The clearancesindicated in Figure 7 are somewhat eX- aggerated for clearness and theextra indentatlons at 50 are desirable to avoid possible contact betweenthe cutting edges of the blade and upstanding fibers which sometimesstick u p from the surface of fibrous material.

The spacers are furthermore preferably perforated as at 40 and40, theseperforations being spaced to register with the perforations 20, 22 of ablade so that a package of bladesV and spacers may be placed on a pairof supporting pins 41 mounted on a suit- .able base or standard 42 asshown in Figure 2, these posts projecting through the perforations 20,22on each of the blades and the perforations 40 of the spacers whichalternate with the blades. To facilitate removal of a spacer 38 from thepins 41, a handle tab 39 may be formed on an end of each spacer, thesebeing preferably staggered as indicated in Figures 2 and 4. As a spaceris lifted by a tab 39, it tilts. The hole 40 is therefore elongatedslightly so that the spacer will not bind on the post nearest to the tab39. The holes` order to facilitate the placing of a packagey c of bladesin position on the pins 41, the latter may he provided with rounded endportions 43 terminating in a shoulder 44. As shown in Figure 6 the bladepackage may be made up with hollow tubes 45 which keep the bladescentered in the recesses of the spacers and are just large enough to fitover the rounded portions 43 and to rest against the shoulders 44. Theouter surfaces of the tubes 45 are preferably flush with the surfaces ofthe pins 41 when thus positioned so that the blade package readilyslides from the tubes 45to the pins 41, whereupon the tubes may bediscarded. The spacing elements 38 may be made of any suitable materialsuch as paper stock which may be pressed into'the form shown in Figure 5by any apparatus suitable for that purpose. The package of the bladesand spacers may be held together by suitable means such as a strip ofpaper' The mode of operation of the razor is in dicated in Figure 2.When the azor is not in use it may be placed in a -horizontal positionas shown by the dotted lines, the handle being releasably held as by aspring clamp 47. l/Vhen it is desired to insert a blade in the razor,the razor is removed from its horizontal position indicated by dottedlines and is pressed vertically downward until the cap 18 is gripped bya spring clamp 48 which is mounted on the base 42. The nut 23 of therazor is then unscrewed to release the guard and the handle from the cap18. These parts are thereupon lifted clear of the cap 18 and are pusheddownwardly over the pi s 41 until the catches 36 snap into the'perorations 20, 22 of the uppermost blade of the package, the spacer 38over this blade having previously been removed. The uppermost blade isthen securely held by the catches 36 as long as the split portion of thevhandle 10 is not pinched by the operators lingers. The blade attachedto the guard plate may then be lifted with the handle and deposited onthe cap 18. The nut23 may then be screwed up by manipulating the fingerpiecel 24 so as to draw up the cap and thus to clamp the blade betweenthe cap and the guard plate. The clamping action-'of the cap against theguard plate is entirely independent ofthe catches 36 so that when therazor is assembled for shaving, these catches are inoperative.

When, however, the cap is removed, the blade is securely retainedagainst the guard plate luntil the split portion of the handle ispinchedsuiciently to permit the hooks to release the blade.. Thus aftera shave,the operator may press the razor vertically downward into the clamp 48,then he may unscrew the nut 23 thusreleasingthe. ardand the handle fromthe'cap which 1s retained in the clamp 48. The handle is then lifted,bringing with it the blade. By pinching the Split portion of the handleas it is held over a used blade receptacle, the used blade will into thereceptacle whereupon a new dro bladb may be picked upl or the handle maybe reassembled lwith the cap and the razor placed in its horizontalposition where` it is L held by the clamp 47.

Although I have illustrated and described the blade package and holderwhich may be used in connection with a razor embodying my invention,I-do not herein claim the same, as the)T form the subject matter of/mapplication Serial No. 438,804, filed March 25,v

Another form of razor embodying the invention is illustrated in-Figure8. In this form of razor, the handle is separate from the guard plate11, and is provided with a threaded V.bore in one end for engagementwith the threaded pin 16 of the cap. Ac-

- cording to the invention the guard plate l1 is divided by a centraltransverse slot 35. The two halves of the guard plate may be joined asby a U-shaped bridge member 61 of spring metal which is shaped to ermitthe handle 60 to screw onto the threa ed p'n 16.

y The legs of the bridgememberl m y be pressed toward each other torelease a blade 1n the manner hereinbefore. described, the manipulationof this form of razor being the lsame a's that of the form shown inFigure 1.k

Having thus described certain embodiments of m invention, it should beevident ments, a cap, and means for drawing-.said

to those skil ed in the art that various changes and modifications mightbe made therein without departing from its spirit or scope as.

defined by IV claim 1. In a sa pair of blalili-y the appended claims,

ries one of said elements, resilient means connecting said two parts,said connecting means belng actuable to produce bladere' leasingrelative motion between said eleandA cap together to clamp. betweenguard 'blade previously picked up by said them a catches. e

2. A safety razor having a handley withla guard plate secured to oneendthereof, said pelata and adjacent end potion of the handle in split sothat the opposite end portions vof t e plate are permitted .limitedmotion toward each other, a pair of catches fixed'- each part being onone respectively on said plateportions, a blade having aperturesarranged to receive said .catches when the plate portions are pressedtoward each other, whereby said blade may be held loosely against saidplate, a capyand means for drawing said guard and cap together to clampbetween them a blade previously picked Iup by said catches.

3. A safety razor having a handle longil'able toward each other wherebysaid hooked elements can pass through a blade having perforationsnormally registering` with the perforations through the guard plate toper.-

mit said hook portions to en'gage the faceof the blade remote from ltheguard plate.

4. In a razor, a split guard plate comprising two separate portions, ahollow handle member having a split end carryingsaid/ portions forlimited relative movement, a pair of catches mounted respectively onsaid portions and adapted to engage in rforations of a erforated bladeto hold said blade releasab y against said guard late, a. stem extendingthrough said hollow andle,

and a cap plate having a portion in threaded engagement with said stemwhereby a blade may be 'adjustably clamped between said guard plate andcap plate.

.Intestimony whereof I have axed'my JoH'Nzc. SHERMAN.

Signature.

razor, a guard platewith af f ipping ,elements mounted. thereon, said pate having a slot dividing said plate into two parts each of which car-

